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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

There was a time when I used to hoard cake pans.In whatever shapes and sizes it fancied me during that time.Later on I realized,whenever I was up to baking something,I turned to the same set of pans.The 'bundt pan' is definitely one of them.I've always wanted a bundt pan and during the times it wasn't available here,I bookmarked a bunch of recipes for those times when I owned a bundt for myself.

I got my bundt pans through a giveaway and haven't looked back since.Though I rarely use the bigger pan(12 cup bundt),the smaller one(6 cup)gets used at least once in a fortnight.I love the pan for the beautiful shape it lends to the cake without much effort from us,excluding the greasing and flouring of the pan.

Few times,I've had disasters where the cake stuck to the pan or refused to come out despite greasing.Over a period of time,I've learnt a few tips and tricks which ensure the cake comes out of the pan in one single piece each and every single time.

Grease and flour your pan well.Use a pastry brush or a tissue and cover every nook and cranny of your pan with melted butter or shortening.Add flour to the pan and tap well so that every part is coated with flour.Discard the excess flour and make sure no chunks of flour remain.

After baking,place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool in the tin for 30-40 minutes.Use a knife to loosen the edges and center of the pan.

Invert the cake pan onto a wire rack and let the cake cool further before slicing.

November 15th is National(International)Bundt Day and I've posted my bundts for the event in the last few years.Mary,the Food Librarian is the one who's been hosting the event.If ever you feel stuck for bundt recipes,hers is the blog to check out,with over 100+ bundt cake recipes.

I didn't want to miss posting a bundt for the event,so decided on trying this simple one-bowl mocha cake.I'm always on the look out for simple(and small!)cakes for pairing with coffee and tea and this one is perfect for that.Though it tastes great on its own,I drizzled the top with some ganache and chocolate chips.

One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake

Ingredients

Brown Sugar - 1 cup

Butter - 60 gms,at room temperature

Egg - 1

Milk - 1/3 cup

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp

Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp

Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 170C.Grease and flour a 6 cup bundt tin.

In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients and beat well for 3-4 minutes or until the batter is smooth and no chunks of sugar and flour remain.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the tin,on a wire rack for 30 minutes.Loosen the edges and center and invert the cake on to the wire rack and let it cool further.

Drizzle some chocolate ganache or chocolate syrup on top,slice and serve.

Friday, November 8, 2013

So we've stocked up on some smooth custard apple pulp,now what next.I wish I was creative enough to come up with ideas to use it other than eat it on its own or pulse it into a milkshake.I tried making a phirni out of it,using a basic phirni recipe and mixing a few tbsps of fruit pulp into it.Before it set properly we ate it up so it never made it to the blog.Next on my list was a mousse,but to be honest we've been on a sweet high since Diwali and the thought of making something with sugar really put me off,however delicious that might have been.A milkshake was a quick and easy option,the sitaphal is sweet on its own so no need to add much sugar also,win-win!

As I was making the milkshake,another thought occurred to me which was to freeze the pulp in ice cubes and store in a ziploc for further use.Next time for sure!Sitaphal/Custard Apple MilkshakeIngredientsSitaphal pulp - 1/2 cupSugar - 1 tspMilk - 1 1/2 cupsIce cubes - a few,optionalMethodIn a mixer blend together the sitaphal pulp,sugar and milk.Blend some ice cubes and serve chilled.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

If there is any fruit which I love,but hate the way I have to work to enjoy the 'fruit' of labour,it has to be Sitaphal/Custard Apple.It is so very delicious but pretty difficult to eat since with every bite there would be a couple of seeds to spit out.Whenever it is in season,our house sees kilos after kilos of this sweet fruit.I've never ventured into making anything with it other than to eat,it is pretty difficult to eat,leave alone making anything with it.

After tasting Sitaphal ice-cream in Naturals,I think the flavour just got more prominence in my mind.I've also tasted milkshakes and kulfis with a predominant sitaphal flavour.I wanted to try a phirni with it for Diwali for which I needed sitaphal pulp.I remember how in juice shops,they just pulp the fruit and seeds together and then sieve it.I followed the same method.

Having a stash of the pulp in the fridge gave me a lot of ideas.I did make a super small batch of phirni which we ate up before it had time to properly set,so made milkshakes with the rest of the pulp.I think the no-churn ice-cream would be a safe bet too,if I don't eat up the pulp on its own :)How to make Sitaphal PulpIngredientsSitaphal/Custard Apple - 5-6,big or 7-8 mediumMilk - 1/3 cupSugar - 1 tbsp,optionalMethodScoop out the pulp with the seeds into a bowl.Into a mixer,add the pulp along with the milk and pulse for 5-10 seconds.

In a wide bowl,place a fine meshed sieve and pour the mix into it.Using a spatula sieve the pulp.Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.You can add sugar at this point or skip it.It is necessary to use milk as it aids grinding.If not,the seeds may get ground into the pulp and make it grainy and bitter.